NMAT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Qualification, Age Limit, Attempt Rules
NMAT eligibility criteria 2025 are decided by the exam conducting body – Graduation Management Admission Council (GMAC). The NMAT 2025 exam will be held from November 5 to December 19, 2025. NMAT Registration 2025 is open from August 1, 2025 till October 10, 2025. Before applying for NMAT 2025, you should know the prescribed NMAT 2025 eligibility criteria set by GMAC. Read this article for NMAT eligibility conditions related to the educational qualifications, age limit, number of attempts, and other key requirements for appearing in NMAT 2025. The article also explains that MBA colleges accepting NMAT Scores, like NMIMS Mumbai, XIM Bhubaneswar and K J Somaiya Mumbai have different eligibility criteria.
NMAT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Overview
NMAT eligibility criteria 2025 are decided by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the exam conducting body. Key Highlights of NMAT Eligibility Criteria are:
- Age Limit: There is no specific age limit to apply for the NMAT Exam
- Education Qualifications: To take the NMAT exam, a graduation in any discipline is required. For most participating institutions, a minimum 50% marks in graduation is required. Check details below. Final year students can also apply.
- Maximum NMAT Attempts: You can take a maximum of 3 attempts in one testing cycle. However, there is a separate cost for each attempt.
- Institute-specific criteria differ: NMAT eligibility criteria are minimum standards that all candidates must meet. Institute-specific criteria differ and must be checked separately. Check details below.
With the introduction of NMAT by GMAC eligibility criteria 2025, let us understand each criterion in detail..
NMAT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Educational Qualification
The most important NMAT exam eligibility requirement is related to educational qualifications. To take the NMAT exam, a graduation in any discipline is mandatory. Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university.
While NMAT doesn’t have a minimum percentage of marks in graduation, most good MBA colleges require a minimum of 50% marks in graduation. Remember, this percentage requirement may vary depending on the institute.
Candidates appearing in the final year of graduation are also eligible, provided they complete the degree before the admission deadline.
NMAT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Age Limit
There is no upper age limit for taking the NMAT exam. Candidates of any age can appear for the exam as long as they meet the educational qualification criteria. This makes NMAT a good option for working professionals who may like to change careers and apply for an MBA after many years of experience.
NMAT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Number of Attempts
NMAT exam allows for retesting to improve exam scores. However, in one testing cycle (one year), a candidate can take the NMAT exam up to three times. This includes one initial attempt and up to two optional retakes. A minimum gap of 15 days must be maintained between two attempts to allow for adequate preparation. Candidates can use retakes strategically to improve their scores. The highest score among all attempts is considered for admission by participating institutes.
NMAT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Work Experience
Work experience is not mandatory to appear for the NMAT exam. However, some MBA colleges may specify minimum work experience criteria, especially in Executive MBA courses. So it is always better to check the requirements of the institutes and programs you are interested in.
NMAT Eligibility Criteria for Specific Institutes
As mentioned above, while GMAC sets the basic eligibility to take the NMAT exam, each participating institute can have its own additional criteria related to academic background, minimum score or percentile, and work experience. Check the eligibility criteria for the top NMAT accepting colleges.
NMIMS Mumbai MBA Eligibility Criteria
- Must have a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum 50% marks
- Candidates must apply separately to NMIMS University after registering for NMAT
- NMIMS does not accept retake scores; only the first attempt score is considered
XIM University Bhubaneswar MBA Eligibility Criteria
- Must have a three-year Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in any discipline with at least 55% marks.
- Final year degree students can also apply, provided they complete the final examination by June 2025.
- Candidates need to apply separately to XIM University with their NMAT scores.
KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai, MBA Eligibility Criteria
- Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university with at least 50% aggregate marks. Final year students can also apply
- The institute accepts NMAT scores along with other exam scores (CAT, XAT, CMAT).
- Candidates need to apply separately to KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Mumbai with their NMAT scores.
SDA Bocconi Asia Centre, Mumbai Eligibility Criteria
- Requires a recognised undergraduate degree in any discipline
- No minimum percentage cutoff is officially specified, but academic consistency is important
- Final year students are eligible
- Work experience is not mandatory, but valued
- SDA Bocconi conducts its own evaluation process along with NMAT scores
In conclusion, the NMAT 2025 exam will be held from November 5 to December 19, 2025. NMAT Registration 2025 is open from August 1, 2025 till October 10, 2025. Meeting the NMAT 2025 eligibility criteria is the first step toward securing admission to top B-schools like NMIMS, XIM Bhubaneswar, KJ Somaiya, SDA Bocconi, and several others. Candidates are advised to check individual institute requirements while registering for NMAT 2025 and applying for MBA programs.
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